Tewanda
A feminine name of African origin, meaning "we have been favored".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Tewanda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tewanda today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tewanda births was 1973 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tewanda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tewanda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1973
9 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1980 SSA rank
#12,018
Tracked since 1964
Popularity
Tewanda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tewanda from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 25 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tewanda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tewanda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tewanda
The given name Tewanda is believed to have its origins in the Bantu languages spoken across parts of Central and Southern Africa. It is thought to be derived from the word "tewana," meaning "we are blessed" or "we are fortunate" in some of these languages.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, as the transatlantic slave trade brought people from various African regions to the Americas, names like Tewanda likely made their way to the Caribbean and parts of North and South America. Over time, it may have evolved into its current spelling and pronunciation.
Historical records mentioning the name Tewanda are scarce, as many African names were often adapted or changed during the colonial era. However, a few notable figures with this name can be found in more recent history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tewanda is Tewanda Dede (1896-1973), a pioneering Ghanaian teacher and women's rights activist. She founded several schools in Ghana and advocated for equal educational opportunities for girls.
Another notable Tewanda is Tewanda Gutto (born 1957), a Kenyan academic and legal scholar who has served as a judge on various international tribunals and as a professor at renowned universities around the world.
In the United States, Tewanda Browne Smith (born 1959) is a former professional tennis player who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 18 in the world. She was the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam doubles title at the 1987 French Open.
Tewanda Haggray (born 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for several teams, including the Indiana Fever and the Seattle Storm.
Tewanda Bradshaw (born 1981) is an American author and motivational speaker known for her work in promoting self-confidence and personal growth, particularly among women and young adults.
While the name Tewanda may not be as common as some other names, its linguistic roots and historical significance in various cultures make it a unique and meaningful choice for parents.
People
Tewanda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tewanda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tewanda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tewanda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tewanda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Tewanda a common name?
We classify Tewanda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 35 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tewanda most popular?
The single biggest year for Tewanda was 1973, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tewanda is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tewanda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tewanda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tewanda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Tewanda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tewanda in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tewanda can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Tewanda?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.